Wulfric the Weapon Thane / A Story of the Danish Conquest of East Anglia

nd and its lights, crept up from seaward and wrapped us round. But before it came, on Orfordness

nt on the higher land that shuts in the haven's mouth on its southern shores. But even as we saw it, the fog closed round us again and the wind died away, so t

adly laid in the oars, and the anchor rattled out and held. The ship swung to her cable, and then there seemed deep silence after t

p order. Then I thought I heard an anchor plunge, and there was silence. Very ghostly it seemed to hear these familiar sounds and to see naught, and it was the more so that

of the fog quieted us all. And, moreover, when the fog lifted we had s

and waiting till the men had gone forward to find th

" I answered.

s a Danish voice, as I think. An

fear was in the old man's mind. Yet I would have him put the thing

; "surely they were in Orwell mout

ve seen them

ne lies in such a place he has ever men watching the

should we do now?" I asked, for I knew

w that this was hopeless, for if we rowed, the sound of our oars would betray us, a

n another moment

e against our sides. The men forward were silent, and I ha

red beat that one could not well mistak

nulf smote his hands together in terror, for the sound wo

think they must have anchored when they heard us do so,

said Kenulf, and I heard

esistance to vikings, unless it were successful, meant surely death, but that seldom would the unresist

k had spoken--how that shipmen would be glad of his presence--and

this. So I grew confident, and even longed to see the sharp bow of the boat cleave the mist

ed away again, and then a voice hailed from t

nd afterwards spoke of the chance of slipping away when the tide turned, though I wa

k came. Then with the turn of tide came little flaws of wind, and we hoisted the sai

cleared away, and I saw the most beautiful sight m

er sides. Her mast was lowered, and rested, with the furled blue and white striped sail, on the stanchions and crossbars that upheld it, to leave the deck clear for swing of sword and axe; and over the curving dragon tail of the stern post floated a forked black and golden flag. And wondrously light

ed also from helm and spear and mail coat from stem to stern. And at that sight every tale of viking cruelty they had heard came into their minds, and they were overcome with terror, so that I thought that several would have cast themsel

I would have neither fear nor defiance sh

s, as he is a great man in Denmark. And surely we have deserved well of his folk in every way, and we of East Anglia are at peace with the Dani

r, to put our one chance of safety into form thus heartened me also, for I will not say that I feared nothi

take their weapons. And though it seemed hard to me and them alike to bide unarm

ne armed men entered her, and she sank deeply in the water. Ten

her as she came alongside, would sink her and leave her crew to drown in our sight. But then t

y water of the slack tide, and my

d among her crew. They dropped to where the curve of our deck was lowest, and instantly the leader leapt on board and all but one of his men

were short, black, curving horns; and he bore a double-headed axe, besides the sword at his side. He looked round on us--at t

ll dumb, or fools, or wise m

I had bidden them, and I thought th

e; for with a great lifting of my heart I knew t

with fear more li

he leader, "which

to me, and I came to the

ter of th

ng company with Lodbrok had give

stared at me, and o

take to tradin

er, "yet you speak like a Dane. Whence are yo

Danish host," I said; "and I learnt the Danish speech from one

all some word of wonder; and the young leader took two great steps to

wing white and angry, and his teeth closed

ave your skins, worse shall it be

the jarl's ring shone white

sailed, that some friend of his mig

eck and seized my hand, gazing at t

t?" he said,

house," I answered; for now I knew that this was surely the yo

t Halfden laid his hands on my shoulders and kissed me

hat you know me by name," he cried; "and well does he trust you si

nd climbed on the rail with his arm round a backstay, and

Jarl Lodbr

at it seemed as though the loved name was heard across the

hip, there to tell him all I might; and he laughed gaily, saying that he had l

we knew what should be done, thinking it likely tha

he old man, who was himself again, n

answered, "and what matters it?

e weather," he

heed to him, for

with the breeze;" and then he added with a smile that had much grim meaning in it. "Th

we might, treating them as Lodbrok's men; for the old pilot lov

the look of the Danish men, after the honest faces of our own crew. It seemed to me that they were hard featured and cruel looking, though towards me

and I sat down together. And with us one other, an older man, tall and bushy bearded, with a square, grave face scarred with an old wound. Thor

after," quoth this Th

and sat with ale horns on

the day when he was lost until this. No

n that, there being no need, and moreover that I would not seem to praise myself. And I ended by saying

see the look in Halfden's eyes as I spoke to him of his father, I having naught but pleasant things to tell of h

peace for a while, and we will

e take Halfden's, which I did, not over will

ormod shortly, seeing that I w

nd now he placed it on the gunwale, going from under the awning.

ee both horn and gunwale shorn through. But so skilful was he that he stayed that mighty stroke so that the k

} to Thormod

two; only strike not as yet, for maybe your axe w

d that same tric

h than one's self the first thing is to guard well. So he had spent lon

said, standing

e flat of his axe, as one does when in sport or practice. So I guarded

done,

t parry was apt to be hard on the arm of the man who smote and met it. "That is the jarl's own parry, and

ormod looked at me in

well pleased

urn to guard now; let

taught to guard has doubtless taught to strike, a

nd I said, mindful

t I have been well

rmod; "he has taught y

one which the jarl had made for me, and straightway he se

hormod! Here has my father written '

hey made as much of that as did Lodbrok himself. And when the men came from our ship, they brought that

nd still we lay at anchor until the stars came out and the

ek his father; but I knew not yet the power which draws a true viking ever onward to the west, and w

ore we will end our cruise well if we can, and so p

do, then?" I a

t some booty, or there will be grumbling among the wives; but for you

once go back to Reedham when my business

shall be good friends, so that I would rather have you come and raid a town or two with me than part with you. But as you have your ship to m

s no concern of mine--nor, indeed, of any other man in East Anglia in those days. That was the business of Ethelred, our overlord

ndon, and maybe still more to feel safe in this powerful company from any other such meetings. And before the tid

nd double reef his sail, else our ship had been hull down as

had shifted a good deal, I, for my part, thought little ill of that, for it held in that quarter till we were fairly among the sands of the Thames mouth at night

Then fell on us, without warning, such a fierce gale as I had never before seen, blowing from north and west, with rain and br

y own ship in this danger, though I knew that Kenulf needed me not, and that, had I been there, it would but ha

the wind roars round the house, I see it all again, waking in my dreams as I call to Kenulf. One flash of lightning showed me my ship dism

ness beside me as I clung to the gunwale, straining my eyes again

s well that I

m went down, and the ship drove through the seas that broke clean over her as h

p, and of whom I knew only too surely that I should see them not again. And for them I tried to pray,

cared nothing for whether we won through the gale or not. But Thormod called to me, bidding me pilot them as best I might, and so I was taken

nt. Never had I thought that a ship could sail so wondrously as this of Halfden's, and yet I took no pleasure therein, because of all that I had lost. And it seemed to

white cliffs of England on our starboard; and there Halfden f

" he said, "surely you have found both anew. You shall turn viking and g

im and put my

id, for it seemed at that time that

me for myself on the seas, as my forefathers had made theirs, so that my deeds should be sung also. Yet that longing had

answered, pleased enou

nowledge that what wiser men than I thought was true--that the old seven kingdoms were but names, and that the Saxon and An

grudge to pay off," he said; "but I will

ainst any man," I an

eone must; and so all will be satisfied," he answered; "but we

ake part and share with them. And as to my loss, he bade me take heart, for a seaman has ever risks such as these to run; and, a

ere Christian men, and to fight against them by the side of heathen went against me. Yet the lust of battle took hold on me, and fight I must. But I will tell no more of that business, save that Halfden and Thormod praised me, saying that I had done well. And

were his wild ways to me. For he was in all things most generous; nor was he cruel, but would hold back th

hormod would have us bear up for her, to see what she might be. But instead of flying, as a trading ship would, the strange vessel waited for us, lowering her sail and clearing for action, so that there was

"we will fight her, and that will be a fight worth te

e same errand as ourselves, and, moreover, belonged to one Rorik, who was a fr

as I looked on these men, and most of all on this Rorik; so that for a little I hated myself for being in their company to make war on peaceful Christian

glish coast, and first of all on the South Saxon shores, behind the island that men call Wight. And that was the thing that I had feared most

at presently Rorik looked over at me an

mighty grim, so that I doubt not he will b

nd must fit my speech to th

a little downcast when we found that you w

ut that we would make a great raid between us. And so the matter passed, and he and